Improvement in bustles



PATENT OEEIoE.

SHERMAN SMITH, OF BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS.

IMPROVEMENT IIN BusrLEs.l

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No.y 134,010, dated December 17, '1872.

To all 'whom t may concern:

Be it known that I, SHERMAN SMITH, of Boston, in the county of Suolk and State of Massachusetts, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Bustles 5 and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description thereof, that will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference'being had to the accompanying drawing, and to the letlcrs of reference marked thereon which form a part of this specification.

My invention relates to bristles for the support of ladies dresses; and myvimprovement thereon consists in the employment of a supporting-bow that is connected to the waistband and bows by means of a number of braces that are secured in their lower ends to the supporting-bow and in their upper ends to the waistband and to the bows, as will now be fully described.

On the drawing, Figure 1 is a side elexjation,

. and Fig. 2 is a ground plan, of my improved bustle.

ais the waistband, to which a stilfener, b b,

I of suitable form and shape, is secured in two places, as shown. c c c are the bows on which the dress is directly supported, for which purpose they are made of a semicireular (or nearly so) shape and attached to the pieces by b with their extreme ends. d is the supportin g-bow for the bustle. On this supportin g-bow the dress does not rest, but it is intended for the purpose of supporting the bows c o c, wherefore it is connected thereto and to the waistband a, by means of braces e, f, g, as shown. The waistband a is connected to the supportingbow d by means of the braces e e e, one or more. The bow c is connected to said supporting-bow d by means of one or more braces, f f, the bow c' by means of the braces g g, and the bow c by means of the braces h h, as fully shown in the drawing. The waist and h,

band a supports the supporting-bow d, that may or may not rest on the back of the wearer, as may be desired. The independent braces f, g, and lz., that connect the supportigbow d to the bows c, c', and c, are so arranged that the pressure of the dress comes in the direction of the length of the said braces, by which arrangement great strength and durability are obtained on the bustle at the same time, as the position of the said braces allows of the closing of the bustle, without injury thereto, in case of lateral pressure.

I do not limit myself to the use of or form of the stiifener b,` as the bows maybe attached directly to the waistband a, if so desired. Neither do I attach any importance to the manner in which the braces are connected to the bows, &c.,` as this may be accomplished by means of rivets, eyelets, clips, or any other similar device.

A cord or strap, i, passes through a hole in the waistband a, and through holes inV the bows c c' c, that may be tied up, so as to increase or decrease the siz'e of the bustle, as may be required.

Having thus fully described the nature and construction of my invention, I wish to secure by Letters Patent, and claim- 1. The construction and arrangement of a.

bustle, for the purpose specied, provided with a supporting-bow, d, attached to the waistband, or its equivalent, in a manner set forth.

2. The combination of the supporting-bow d, bows c c c, the independent braces cfg h and the waistband a, in a manner and for the purpose set forth and described.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing I have hereunto set my hand this 23d day of October, 1872.

SHERMAN SMITH. Witnesses:

ALBAN ANDRN, .WEL H. HUTeHrNsoN. 

